The
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is an American tire company founded by
Harvey Samuel Firestone in 1900 to supply pneumatic
tires for wagons,
buggies, and other forms of wheeled transportation common in the era. Firestone soon saw the huge potential for marketing tires for
automobiles. The company was a pioneer in the
mass production of tires. Harvey Firestone had a friendship with
Henry Ford. Firestone used this relationship to become the original equipment supplier of
Ford Motor Company automobiles, and was also active in the replacement market.